American couple goes missing while sailing from Grenada

Two veteran American sailors who left Virginia and spent the winter cruising in the Caribbean went missing this month while sailing off the coast of Grenada, and their boat arrived empty in neighboring St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Their disappearance occurred around the same time that three men escaped from a prison in Grenada and fled by boat to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, authorities on those islands said.

In a statement, the Royal Grenada Police Force did not identify the two Americans but said it was investigating possible harm to them in connection with the prisoners’ escape.

According to the Salty Dawg Sailing Associationa nonprofit organization that brings together sailing and cruising enthusiasts, notified a skipper on Feb. 21 that a member’s yacht, named Simplicity, was anchored and abandoned off a beach on the south coast of St. Vincent.

The skipper boarded the catamaran and noticed that the owners were not on board, the association’s statement said. The skipper contacted the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard, who then notified local police.

The missing boat owners were identified as Ralph Hendry, 66, and Kathy Brandel, 71, by the association and Mrs. Brandel’s son, Nick Buro, who said the couple, originally from Virginia, had been married for 27 years.

Mr. Hendry and Mrs. Brandel were experienced sailors who lived in their boat. They recently completed their sailing club’s “Caribbean Rally” — sailing from Hampton, Virginia, to the island of Antigua to close out 2023 with a party — and spent the rest of the winter cruising the Caribbean, according to a statement of the club.

The association said it had a tracking map to track members’ boats and showed the couple anchored in Grenada before docking off the coast of St. Vincent. The St. Vincent and Grenadines Coast Guard secured the boat and St. Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police investigated along with the U.S. Embassy and Royal Grenada Police, the association’s statement said.

Separately, Royal Grenada Police said in a statement on February 22 that three men who escaped from a prison in Grenada on February 18 had made their way to St. Vincent using a yacht docked in the St. George area of ​​Grenada. Police said the two occupants of the boat, who were not named, were U.S. citizens.

The prisoners were recaptured on February 21, the same day the couple’s ship was found.

Grenada authorities identified the detainees as Trevon Robertson, 19; Abita Stanislaus, 25; and Ron Mitchell, 30.

They were previously charged together in a violent robbery in December. Mr Mitchell also faced several separate charges, including causing harm, indecent assault and rape, Grenada police said.

In a joint family statement On Saturday, Mr Buro and Bryan Hendry, Mr Hendry’s son, thanked the cruising community for their support and assistance in the search, but asked them to withdraw.

“We would also like to applaud the authorities of St. Vincent for their quick actions in securing Eenvoud and their courageous, swift response that led to the apprehension of three dangerous fugitives,” the family statement said. It added: “We greatly appreciate the coordination of the St. Vincent and Royal Grenadian Police Forces and Coast Guards in investigating these events.”

Royal Grenada Police did not respond to an inquiry on Sunday. The department said in the news release that the investigation was “in its infancy” and that a team of investigators and a forensic specialist had been dispatched to St. Vincent.

Bob Osborn, president of the sailing club, described the couple as warm-hearted and competent and their disappearance “a very disturbing event.”

He added: “Our hopes and prayers are with Ralph and Kathy and the family who love them.”

On a GoFundMe page started by a family friend who wanted to help with costs related to their disappearance, Mr Hendry and Ms Brandel were described as “experienced adventurers” and said they had “spent their retirement sailing aboard Simplicity, having spent summers in New England and the warmth of Caribbean winters.”